Figure 1.

(a–f) Significant main effects (top panels) and interaction effects (middle panels) of mean annual temperature (T), mean specific leaf area (SLA), litter phylogenetic diversity (PD) and stream pH on total breakdown rates in coarse-mesh bags (k_c), microbial breakdown rates in fine-mesh bags (k_f) and detritivore-mediated breakdown rates (k_d) of litter mixtures (a–d) and alder (e,f). When a variable had a main effect and an interaction in the same model, only the interaction is shown. (g,h) Box plots show litter breakdown rates (k) in coarse-mesh bags (grey boxes) and fine-mesh bags (white boxes) for the global dataset and for tropical and temperate sites separately. Horizontal lines show medians, boxes show 25th and 75th percentiles, error bars show 10th and 90th percentiles, and points show outliers. Brackets and asterisks denote significant differences in breakdown rates of litter between coarse-mesh and fine-mesh bags (Wilcoxon signed-rank tests: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.0001; n.s., not significant).